Exploring counsellor perceptions of the impact of counselling supervision on clients

This qualitative study explores counsellors’ experiences and perceptions of how counselling supervision impacts upon their clients. Data collection combined open‐ended questionnaires (n = 13) and semi‐structured interviews (n = 6). The findings indicate that supervision impacts client work both helpfully and unhelpfully. Areas that emerged as having the most direct impact on client work were the counselling relationship dynamics and self‐awareness, professional development, emotional support, clients not discussed in supervision and the quality of the supervisory relationship. Congruence and confidence were the most direct link between supervision and client work.     

Exploring counsellor perceptions of the impact of counselling supervision on clients

This qualitative study explores counsellors' experiences and perceptions of how counselling supervision impacts their clients. The literature review highlights little research in this area. Data collection combined open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Analysis was phenomenological incorporating participant validation. The findings indicate that supervision impacts client work both helpfully and unhelpfully. Areas that emerged as having the most direct impact on client work were: exploration of client-counsellor dynamics and raising counsellor self awareness, professional development, emotional support and the quality of the supervisory relationship. Benefits and dangers for clients not taken to supervision were highlighted. Congruence and confidence were the most direct link between supervision and client work.     

Client perceptions of hindering experiences in counselling

The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of what clients perceive as hindering experiences in counselling. In‐depth interviews combined with concept mapping were used to gather, organize, and understand clients' perceptions of hindering aspects of therapy. In the initial data gathering stage, 8 adult client participants, aged 18 or older (average of 14.1 sessions) were asked to respond to the following open‐ended questions:

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Counsellor and client perceptions of the effectiveness of time-limited counselling in an occupational counselling scheme

Counsellors providing brief counselling (6 sessions) in a British Social Services Department completed post intervention questionnaires for 429 clients. These provided information on several measures about the degree to which they felt that their clients had benefitted from the counselling, how far they felt that the number of sessions was adequate, and the nature of the clients' problems. Two hundred and twenty-three of the clients also completed post-intervention questionnaires indicating their degree of satisfaction on a number of measures. There was fair agreement between counsellors and clients that outcomes were satisfactory, and that the number of sessions was adequate, although clients were more satisfied than counsellors. Counsellors identified a range of personal and occupational presenting problems, and around two thirds of problems belonged in the personal domain. Long-tern personal problems received lower satisfaction ratings and were more frequently referred on to other agencies.     

Evaluation of a counselling skills course for health professionals

A counselling skills course run by a London hospital for 11 health professionals was evaluated. The course covered family counselling skills and child management techniques. Qualitative and quantitative measures were used at five times of testing over a period of 10 months. It was found that participants improved self-perceptions of their counselling ability, increased their knowledge of counselling theories, and considered the course to be helpful in their subsequent work with families. There was no significant change in trainees' self-concept scores. Regular supervision was regarded as helpful in consolidating skills and exploring aspects of practice in a safe environment. Issues relating to evaluation research are discussed.     

Working alliance for clients with social anxiety disorder: relationship with session helpfulness and within-session habituation

It has been suggested that a strong working alliance encourages clients to take risks during therapy (Raue, Castonguay, & Goldfried, 1993). This encouragement may be important for clients who fear negative evaluations as they engage in risk-taking elements of therapy. This study examined the relationship between working alliance, session helpfulness and measures of emotional processing in 18 clients undergoing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for social anxiety disorder. Results indicate a positive correlation between client-rated, but not observer-rated, working alliance and session helpfulness. Moderate levels of working alliance were associated with higher initial anxiety and deeper within-session habituation. Overall, a strong alliance was associated with clients engaging with the session and finding the session helpful. Implications for the use of CBT for social anxiety are discussed.     

Pupil perceptions of counselling: A case study

Using a case-study school with a highly-developed counselling service employing three trained school counsellors, pupil perceptions of counsellors are examined in terms of their duties within the school and their potential helpfulness. Despite the fact that many of the features of the school were ideally adapted to the effective development of counselling, the counsellors were broadly perceived as senior teachers with a great deal of administrative responsibility. Few of the pupils indicated a willingness to approach any of the counsellors voluntarily with a personal problem.     

Pupil perceptions of counselling: A response to Murgatroyd

Counselling has usually been thought of as client-centred. Recent studies suggest that many counsellors are perceived as senior teachers and are not approached by pupils on a personal basis. An example is given of a client-centred counsellor who appears to command the personal confidence of pupils, as evidenced by pupils' recorded perceptions of his role. Questions are posed regarding the future of counselling in schools.     

A naturalistic study of the effectiveness of time-limited counselling with low-income clients

The role of counselling and psychotherapy services in relation to the needs of economically disadvantaged individuals has been largely neglected in the recent research literature. Although a small number of theoretical papers and case analyses have been published, there is an absence of studies that examine the effectiveness of counselling with this client group. The present paper reports on a naturalistic outcome study of the effectiveness of time-limited counselling (seven sessions) with low-income clients. Analysis of pre-counselling, postcounselling and follow-up measures of mental health and problem ratings indicated levels of change equivalent to those achieved in controlled studies of counselling and psychotherapy with other client groups. Factors influencing the effectiveness of counselling included gender and employment status. Qualitative client reports suggested that the main benefits experienced by clients were in the areas of self-understanding and self-belief. For illustrative purposes, data from low-income clients are compared with results from employee counselling clients receiving a similar service. The implications of these findings for further research are discussed.     

Experiences and perceptions of multicultural counselling scholars: a qualitative examination

This study explored the experiences and perceptions of 12 multicultural counselling scholars with regard to the field of multicultural counselling. Based on a qualitative analysis, many of our participants noted that aspects of being a multiculturally competent counsellor included open-mindedness, flexibility, a commitment to the field, active listening, knowledge and awareness of cultural issues, skillfulness in making cultural interventions, commitment to social justice issues, self-awareness, and exposure to broad and diverse life experiences. Most of the participants also stated that a challenge associated with being a multicultural psychologist was colleagues’, institutions’, and others’ resistance toward and lack of support for multicultural counselling issues. Moreover, many participants indicated that the multicultural counselling movement has had good to great impact on the larger field of applied psychology. Future research directions for the area of multicultural counselling are discussed.     

Preparing our future counselling professionals: Gatekeeping and the implications for research

Social science research specific to the identification and prevalence of unsuitable students within counselling, psychology, and social work training programmes is briefly reviewed in this article. This area of enquiry relates to the gatekeeping responsibilities of professional educational programmes, to ensure that their graduates are competent to provide ethical and effective practice to the public. Key issues which impede the usefulness of this gatekeeping literature to counselling educators are raised. These include: methodological inconsistencies which limit the comparison of findings and hence the drawing of sound conclusions; the lack of definitional clarity relating to the construct of gatekeeping; and the confusing array of nomenclature used to represent students’ failure to meet acceptable professional standards. It is apparent from this overview that there are common factors irrespective of nomenclature that are associated with students at risk of not becoming competent entry‐level practitioners. This suggests that a structured approach to terminology is appropriate. There is also evidence to suggest that encountering such students is a regular occurrence for faculty, with students indicating higher numbers of impaired students than educators. A working definition of gatekeeping is provided and nomenclature suggested.     

Theory‐building case studies of counselling and psychotherapy

In addition to their potential for healing, psychotherapy and counselling offer extraordinary opportunities to observe human experience and behaviour. I suggest practitioners have expertise in and daily access to the phenomena that theories of counselling and psychotherapy seek to explain. Practitioners’ clinical experience can be accumulated and shared through theory-building case study research. This article summarizes the logic of theory‐building case studies and offers practical suggestions for conducting case study research.     

A comparison of perceptions of counselling in Ireland and the United States

The present study compared 50 Irish and 50 US graduate and undergraduate psychology and counselling students on the ways they rated counsellors, counselling, and group counselling on a semantic differential. Males were also contrasted to females on these concepts. A 2 2 2 2 2 MANOVA was used for the data analysis where the independent variables were country, class, and gender, and the dependent variables were the evaluative and potency scales of the semantic differential for counsellors, counselling, and group counselling. The Irish sample rated the potency of counselling significantly higher as did women. Counselling graduates evaluated group counselling and counsellors significantly higher than psychology undergraduates.     

The experience of counselling for female clients with anorexia nervosa: A person‐centred perspective

Anorexia nervosa is a serious and potentially life‐threatening condition, which has been studied from a range of theoretical perspectives. However, the relevance of person‐centred theory and practice in relation to anorexia nervosa has not previously been explored in the literature. The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of clients who had received counselling for anorexia nervosa, and to set these experiences against the backdrop of person‐centred theory. The study is based on intensive heuristic analysis of interviews with five clients who had completed counselling for anorexia nervosa within the previous three months. Collaboration between the researcher and the participants led to an identification of two of the six ‘core’ conditions identified by Rogers as being of real importance to clients with anorexia: unconditional positive regard and congruence. The context in which counselling is offered was also of crucial significance to these clients. Implications for practice are discussed.     

Deviance among professionals: The case of unnecessary surgery

This paper conceptualizes unnecessary surgery as a form of professional deviance and seeks to conduct a substantial review of the literature on the subject from that perspective. Borrowing from the very nature of professions, one may define deviance among professionals in terms of violating the public service norm. The role that expertise plays in establishing what conduct is deviant is illustrated. The effects of professional autonomy on observing and measuring deviance are explored. Finally, the research findings on unnecessary surgery are summarized. The resulting patterns suggest that applying more traditional theories of deviance to account for the phenomenon may be fruitful.